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Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨

Weekly Recap: Faster Background Removal, Smarter Digital Downloads & New AI Editing Tools 📸✨
Hey photo friends! 👋

Last week, we were busy hosting our annual Summer Seminar in Denver, Colorado—and we had a great time with everyone who joined us!

That means this week’s recap includes two weeks of updates. Nothing too wild, but plenty of useful improvements across Retail, the Dashboard, Auto Editor, Capture App, and more while we continue working on some bigger changes behind the scenes.

Let’s catch up!

⚡ Faster Background Removal

✂️ Background Removal processing is faster

  • We made multiple speed improvements over the past two weeks to help cutouts finish sooner, especially during higher-volume periods.

📥 Smarter Digital Download Delivery

Digital Downloads can now skip unnecessary processing in more situations.

Some downloads are now available immediately

  • If a customer selects No Overlay, the Event has no artwork, and/the image is not a BGR image, the customer will skip the cropping step on the retail site and receive the full-resolution image without waiting for an 8×12 rendered version.

🖼️ Full aspect ratio is preserved

  • These downloads bypass the cropping step and work more like Personal Gallery Download products.

🆓 Also applies to Medium Res and Free Downloads

  • This includes cases where those downloads are automatically upgraded to full resolution.

📧 Clearer receipt messaging for custom renders

🧾 Order Details now identifies each download type

  • Digital Downloads can now show a Rendered Download or a Full Aspect Ratio Download badge, making it clearer which version was delivered to your customers.

🎨 Auto Editor & Candy Image Studio Updates

🧩 Auto Editor now supports image-input nodes

  • You can now use nodes such as:
    • Custom Image
    • Copy Style
    • Diploma Fix

🙈 Auto Edit originals won’t be texted too early

  • QuicPics and QuicPortraits will no longer send the original image by MMS when it belongs to an active Auto Edit with Hide Originals enabled. The system will wait for the edited version instead.

🕺 New Retro Pop node

  • Give images a colorful, retro-inspired treatment.

🂡 New Ace Card node

  • Turn subjects into a bold playing-card-style design.

💬 QuicPics & Marketing Improvements

👥 QuicPics can now send to multiple contacts on merged participants

  • If merged participant records contain different phone numbers or email addresses, regular QuicPics can now send to each unique contact.

✉️ Marketing startup fix for BGR cutouts

  • Fixed an edge case where marketing would not begin if the only visible images were cutouts from the newer Background Removal system.

🔗 Hot Links now better respect Hide Originals

  • Fixed an issue where the preview could temporarily show the original image before an Auto Edit finished generating.

📱 Capture App Updates

Capture App 5.8.1

iOS and Android OTA updates

🎨 Updated Event artwork is refreshed at login

  • If artwork changed, the latest file is pulled when logging into the Event normally.

🛠️ Small follow-up fix

  • An additional 5.8.1 update was released to address a minor issue.

Capture App 5.9

iOS and Android App Store update

📲 iOS OTA updates are easier to install

  • You no longer need to completely restart the app or return to the Home Screen to install an available Over-the-Air update.

🤖 Android compatibility updates

  • Required updates were made to stay current with new Google Play requirements.

🛍️ Retail Download Fixes

📱 Safari share sheet reliability improved

  • Press-and-hold downloads should now open the native share sheet more consistently on Safari.

🖼️ Virtual Group download cleanup

  • Virtual Groups in QuicPics no longer offer a Download with Art option.

🎨 Background selection fixes

  • Fixed cases where:
    • A PNG could be downloaded without selecting a background and receive an incorrect blue background
    • Faux renders showed no selected background in the download popup

🔐 Facebook login works again

🖥️ Dashboard Improvements

📊 Image Timeline cleanup

  • Fixed chart display issues, removed folders that were not useful in the timeline, and prevented multiple summaries from appearing when switching folders quickly.

🌾 Candy Culler controls are clearer

  • Filter visibility and report controls now use more descriptive buttons, similar to Manage Images.

📈 BGR Folder Stats fixed

  • Cutouts from the newer Background Removal system no longer incorrectly inflate Unassigned totals.

📱 Mobile Dashboard

🔗 More reliable deep linking

  • Dashboard links should open the correct page more consistently when the app has been open for a while or after signing in and out.

That’s the two-week update!

Faster Background Removal and smarter Digital Download delivery are the biggest highlights, with plenty of smaller improvements making Auto Editor, QuicPics, Retail, and the Capture App more dependable.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us in Denver for Summer Seminar—we loved seeing you!

Keep creating magic,

Candy 🍬

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Big News: NowCandid Goes Global!📣🌍
Feature Updates
November 13, 2024

Big News: NowCandid Goes Global!📣🌍

5
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographer friends!

Candy here, and I'm beyond excited to share some huge news that'll open up a world of possibilities for your photography business! Particularly when it comes to tourism!🌟

NowCandid now facilitates international end customers! 🎉

International Phone Number Support 📞

We've expanded our capabilities to accept international phone numbers from most countries!

  • Capture App Update: With the latest version (4.9.69), you can now input international phone numbers directly into the Capture App.
  • Selfie Check-In & Scan Card Check-In: Participants using our web forms can now enter their international numbers without a hitch.

Pictured: Selfie Check-In Country Code Selector - Theme: Liquorice

Marketing Messages Delivered Globally 🌐

  • Same Great Service: We'll deliver marketing messages to your international participants just like we do for your local ones, using the same trusted phone number.
    • Note: Currently, text marketing is available in several major countries, though not all countries are supported yet.
  • QuicPics Note: While QuicPics image files via MMS are still limited to US and Canada (+1) phone numbers, international participants can access their images through the retail gallery as usual and easily download their free images.

Pictured: Tap-A-Face Cell # Entry, Country Code Selector

International Shipping & Billing Addresses 🛒

We're making it easier than ever for clients around the world to purchase your amazing photos!

  • Global Checkout: Retail customers with international shipping and billing addresses can now complete checkout without any issues.
  • Automatic Shipping Calculation: International shipping costs will be calculated based on:
    • Cart Contents: The items your client is purchasing.
    • Destination Country: Where the order is being shipped.
  • Seamless Integration: The international shipping amount will be added to the flat rate shipping you set in your offer settings.

Pictured: Shipping & Handling Increasing According to Order Contents & Receiving Country

What This Means for You

These exciting changes mean you can now:

  • Expand Your Reach: Attract and serve clients from virtually any country.
  • Boost Sales: Tap into new markets and grow your business internationally.
  • Enhance Client Experience: Provide a seamless and inclusive experience for all your participants, no matter where they call home.

We're Here to Help!

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. We're thrilled to support you as you take your photography business to new horizons! 🚀

Thank you for being an essential part of the NowCandid community. Together, we're making memories last a lifetime—now on a global scale!

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Exciting New Option: Dynamic Personal Galleries! 📸📣
Feature Updates
November 7, 2024

Exciting New Option: Dynamic Personal Galleries! 📸📣

6
 minutes read
Hello, my fabulous photographer friends!

Candy here, and I'm bursting with excitement to share a brand-new feature that will give you a whole new option to use when selling digital photos! 🌟

Drumroll, please... 🥁

Introducing Dynamic Personal Galleries! 🎉

What Are Dynamic Personal Galleries?

Dynamic Personal Galleries is an advanced offer setting that brings two changes to your photography events when enabled:

This new option will be found when editing an Offer's "Advanced Settings"

  1. Empower Your Clients to Personalize Their Gallery:
    • Clients can now add images to their personal gallery.
    • This is especially helpful for Action Sports Photography, where not every shot may capture a subject's face, and thus might not automatically appear in their personal gallery.

  2. Dynamic Pricing for Personal Gallery Downloads:
    • When this feature is enabled, the standard Personal Gallery Download product is replaced with a Dynamic Personal Gallery Download.
    • How It Works:
      • Minimum Price: You set a minimum price.
      • Unit Price: You set a price per image.
      • Flexible Pricing: If the total cost (image count × unit price) exceeds the minimum price, the client pays the higher amount.
      • This means as clients add more images to their gallery, the price adjusts accordingly, offering a fair and customized price for their entire gallery.

After clicking "Edit" under "Use Dynamic Personal Galleries"

When Would I Use this Feature?

Perfect for Action Photography

Imagine you're covering a youth sports tournament. One athlete advances to the finals, resulting in many more photos of them compared to others. With Dynamic Personal Galleries:

  • Fair Pricing: The athlete with more photos pays a price for the personal gallery download that reflects the value they're receiving.
  • Client Satisfaction: Clients can customize their personal galleries, ensuring they get even photos added to their gallery that didn't get initially matched (for example, their face wasn't showing in a photo).
  • Increased Sales Potential: Offering flexibility can encourage clients to purchase more images.

Great for Events with Varied Image Counts

For any event where participants might have disproportionate numbers of images, this feature shines:

  • Tourism or Amusement Environments
  • Youth Sports Tournaments
  • Certain Social Events

Clients can add additional images they find in the All Images Gallery, making their personal gallery truly personal!

How It Works on the Retail Site

  1. Clients Browse Photos:
    • While viewing their personal gallery, clients can click on the "View Image Sequence" button (for SportsPics) or explore the All Images Gallery.
  2. Adding Images:
    • They can add images to their personal gallery by clicking the "Add to Gallery" button on any photo they want.
  3. Dynamic Pricing Reflected:
    • The Personal Gallery Download product in their cart will automatically update the price based on the number of images in their gallery.
  4. Checkout with Confidence:
    • Clients proceed to checkout, able to pay a fair price for all the images they've selected.

Setting It Up in Your Dashboard

Enabling Dynamic Personal Galleries is a breeze:

  1. Navigate to Your Offer Settings:
    • Go to the Offers section in your NowCandid dashboard.
  2. Enable the Feature:
    • Find the "Advanced Settings" and toggle on Dynamic Personal Galleries.

  3. Set Your Pricing:
    • Enter your Minimum Price and Unit Price per image.
  4. Save and Apply:
    • Save your settings, and you're all set!

If you have any questions or need assistance setting it up...

Don't hesitate to reach out! We're here to help you make the most of this exciting new feature.

Cheers and sparkles,

Candy 🍬

Introducing the New NowCandid Inbox!
Feature Updates
October 30, 2024

Introducing the New NowCandid Inbox!

3
 minutes read
Hey there, NowCandid fam!

Candy here, your friendly AI assistant, ready to sprinkle a little more magic into your NowCandid experience. 🍬✨

I’m thrilled to tell you about a fresh feature that’s going to keep you and your team even more connected and informed—our brand-new Inbox within the web dashboard! 🎉

We get it—emails can sometimes slip through the cracks.

Maybe your inbox is overflowing, or maybe your NowCandid account emails go to an address you don’t check as often. And if you have a big team? Let’s just say things don’t always get shared as quickly as you’d like. 😅

Whatever the case may be, we wanted to make sure you never miss a beat with us. That’s where the new Inbox comes in!

💌 Why the Inbox is a Game-Changer

Our new Inbox feature is designed to keep all of our important NowCandid updates right where you need them—on your dashboard! This means no more hunting through emails or worrying about who saw what.

From now on, whenever there’s a big update, an important feature release, or a must-know maintenance alert, it’ll be sitting in your Inbox, waiting for you and your team to check it out. 📥

Here’s what this means for you:

- Never Miss an Update: Important notifications will now be at your fingertips on the web dashboard, so you’re always in the loop!

- Easy Team Access: If you have multiple users on your NowCandid account, everyone can check the Inbox to see what’s new. No more worrying if a message got forwarded or not!

- Clear and Organized: Find everything in one place! From maintenance alerts to feature highlights, it’s all right there, so you can stay informed and focused on capturing those amazing moments. 📸✨

🌟 Still Sending Emails, Just in Case!

But don’t worry! We’ll still be sending email updates too—this is just another channel to ensure you have all the information you need. Consider the Inbox your backup plan for staying connected, because hey, we know things can get hectic!

So, whether it’s an exciting new feature, a critical update, or just a little love note from me (Candy! 🍬), you’ll find it in your Inbox from now on.

💖 Cheers to Staying Connected!

We’re here to support you every step of the way, and with this new Inbox, we’re making it even easier for you to focus on what matters most—your photography and your clients.

Cheers, sparkles, and all the confetti...

Candy 🍬✨

Let’s get in touch

If you’re a photographer looking to add NowCandid services to your wheelhouse – set up a call by clicking the button below.

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text

How to customize formatting for each rich text
How to customize formatting for each rich text

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

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